


Convalescent

by yails



Series: Agents? They're overrated. [3]
Category: Splatoon
Genre: Adult Agents, Affairs, Amnesia, Chronic Illness, Concubines, Currently being rewritten - Freeform, Emotophobia, Fictional Religion & Theology, Implied/Referenced Suicide, M/M, Mental Health Issues, Pensive, Recovery, Trans Character, Unhealthy Relationships, adult characters, agent 4 is nonbinary, agent 8 is vulgar, jkdskjg, mlm, my grizz briefly, oc agents - Freeform, prematurely tagging, references to other work, rn no real plan for. nsfw stuff but its very implied, talk abt being trans, they/them character, theyre all over 20, very vulgar
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2018-04-16
Updated: 2018-12-07
Packaged: 2019-04-23 18:52:06
Rating: Mature
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings, Graphic Depictions Of Violence
Chapters: 4
Words: 8,594
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/14338851
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/yails/pseuds/yails
Summary: currently rewriting and under reg only bc. common place is done and stuff is being changed since i've developed their story over the last year





	1. Octoling Hunting

Whitney was never the one in the main view of anything when it came to Squidbeak. They were considered the firepower to the joined title of  _ Agent 4. _ Between Nelly and themselves, the two of them did not look similar in any regards. However, it was their role that had the singular  _ Agent 4 _ be known. 

 

Whitney always had darker ink than their feminine counterpart, due to them being sick so often. This was complimented with their wild tentacles, often pulled back into a ponytail to get it out of their face. It didn’t help that they were prone to the underground air, causing them to wear a facemask over their mouth constantly. They were also paler than their counterpart, more due to family causes than anything else. 

 

Needless to say, Whitney was the physical reason for their reputation with Nelly. After the events with the Squidbeak, they didn’t really keep too much in touch with their old friend. But when they got a call about a rumor about a  _ new agent _ , they were curious immediately. They sat on their bed, cupping the phone against their ear as Nelly yammered about the two new Agents.  _ “They’re octolings! And there’s a guy one, and the Plaza’s agent knows the girl one really well! I think I saw them in the Square the other day, but I don’t know where the male one is.. Do you think that they’re friendly, Whit? Junior met the girl the other day when she went out with her ‘sis for training! Apparently they’re related to them too! It’s really cool!”  _ The one-sided conversation lasted a lot further than that, leaving the green-inked enby to hum and rock on their bed as their friend explained the news. 

 

They yawned, setting their phone down once they got off the phone with Nelly and started getting ready for the day. It was a while since they went octoling hunting, and thankfully this  _ wasn’t _ going to take one out. They grabbed their ink tank off of the floor and made their way out of the apartment complex they called their home, jogging their way to the Square. The hub-like area always intimidated them, more for the reason of the  _ size _ than the amount of people. They were diligent enough about their weak immune system that they didn’t entirely have to bother with going out of their way to try to stay safe. It was more of a habit at this point. 

 

The issue Whitney had was trying to find the octoling. Rule one, had to look like one of the octolings that had constantly bothered them- not something that hard, since they did have a rather _unique_ look. Rule two, had to be male. Well, the second rule was a shitty rule anyways, considering that they wouldn’t know what to look for for that. Rule three, most likely had octoling gear.

 

With those three (two) rules, they set out among the crowds. Despite what it might sound like, it was rather hard for them to try to find the octoling. After around an hour of searching, then grumbled, leaning against the window to the cafe next to the entrance to Deca Tower, sliding down. They looked over to the subway, grumbling. “Stupid.. Octoling..” They hissed, rubbing their nose through their mask. “Where are you?” They yelled down the closed off subway, flinching when they heard a noise from deep inside. Whitney looked back to tower, then ran inside and to the locker that was designated for them. 

 

They grabbed out their Blaster, pulling the kit pack out of it and pushing it into locker before shoving it under their coat and running outside. They had to be quick, considering the fact that  _ they had a turf weapon outside of a regulated area _ . They jumped the fence that sealed the subway and stumbled down the stairs into it. “Hey!” They cupped hands around their mouth. “Where are you? I know you’re here!” 

 

Gold-Red irises met the agent from around the corner, disappearing once the agent noticed them. Whitney ran after them, grabbing the blaster from under their coat as they ran. After cornering the figure, they held the blaster to aim away from either of them, the octoling that was chased shaking ink from his body. He glared at the agent, looked at the blaster, then spat at them. “You’re too much of a  **_pussy_ ** to come down here that you needed a Blaster?!” 

 

“I-” Whitney blinked at  _ that _ response that they were given. “I didn’t know if you had a weapon!” They dropped the blaster, raising their arms. “I wasn’t just about to get hurt in case you were armed!”

 

“Why would I be armed?!” The octoling groaned, standing up all of the way. “Why did you come down here? How do you know about me?” The Octoling started to size the enby up, getting in their face. 

 

“Hey- Hey! I heard about you from my friend who saw what.. Your sister?” Putting a hand on the octolings chest, they pushed him away. “I was just curious about you.”

 

“ _ Curious _ ?” He had a look of disgust on his face. “What kind of joke is this? How do you know my sister?” 

 

“It’s kind of complicated, actually..” Whitney laughed nervously, a hand moving down to fiddle with the cuff of their coat, trying to recall the story that Nelly gave them. “She met someone who’s related to her? And that person knows my friend and I, and thus, I know about her and you.”

 

“Sounds… Devious. Fake.” He crossed his arms and narrowed his eyes. “But.. If it’ll get you off my back, I guess I can accept that you’re right.” 

 

“Wuh- No! I was wondering where you’ve been staying!” Whitney looked up from their cuff. “If you’ve just been in this erm..  _ Subway _ , I don’t think that’s good enough for someone like you.”

 

“Someone like  _ me? _ ” The octoling raised a brow. “Why should an Inkling care about me? Especially one who just RAN TOWARDS ME WITH A BLASTER?!”

 

“I said that I didn’t know that you had a weapon!” 

 

“UNDERSTANDABLE!” The octoling groaned, stumbling back against one of the support poles. He stuck his tongue out at Whitney. “Why are you still here, anyways?”

 

“Do you want to come to the surface?” The inkling spoke more softly, the octoling humming as a response. They walked over to the octoling, poking his forehead. “I live alone, and I know that your sister’s living somewhere on the surface. I wouldn’t mind having another person live where I do, if it means that they won’t practically  _ die _ because they think they’re the best survivalist.”

 

“And if I do live with you?” 

 

“You’ll get food, clothes,” They paused, shuttering. “ _ Shelter _ .”

 

“Not convinced.” The octoling lifted his head, licking the inkling’s hand. Whitney pulled it away, shaking it. “What  _ more _ do I get?”

 

“Uhm-..” Whitney paused. “I guess a friend? If I can find out where she lives, you could be with your sister more?”

 

“Tempting.. Fine.” He pushed his way past the inkling towards the entrance of the subway. Whitney rushed after him, yelling. “Hey, you’re the one who suggested I come up with you! Don’t get mad about falling behind!”

 

Whitney grabbed his arm once they caught up to him. “I will have you know that I physically cannot run like that unless it’s dire.” 

 

“That sounds like a personal problem.” The octoling climbed the fence and grabbed Whitney, carrying them over the fence and setting them down. “There you go,  _ Prince _ . May I do anything  _ else _ ?”

 

Whitney grumbled, covering their cheeks before they moved in front of the other and lead the other to the turf lobby. They told him to wait outside while they returned their blaster and shoved their ink tank in their locker. Once they walked out, they brought Agent 7 out to their apartment, hidden away a few blocks passed the Square. They opened the door to the apartment and let him in, the octoling pulling his boots and identification straps off. The home seemed so Big to the thinner cephalopod. He immediately made a run for around the house, Whitney pulling their coat off before a rather loud  _ thud _ came from a few rooms out, along with a loud hiss. “ **HEY** !” They screamed, kicking their boots off and running to the source. The octoling laid halfway fallen over a child gate that separated the dining room from the kitchen and living. Whitney groaned, picking him up and pulling him into the kitchen.

 

“Why is there a grate in your home?!” The octoling whimpered, holding his stomach.

 

“Because I babysit sometimes? It’s to stop children from just going into other rooms! Clearly it  _ works _ !” Whitney made a pbbbt sound, before taking the octoling’s hand away and feeling at his stomach. They stared wide-eyed at him, grinning under their mask.

 

“Why do you look so happy?” He could see the little glimmer of enjoyment in the inkling’s eyes. “What?”

 

“Your stomach is.. Really soft.” Whitney patted it, before standing and grabbing a dishcloth, wetting it with some cold water and placing it on his stomach. “You might get a bruise, this is just to stop the swelling.” They helped him to lean against a wall, the octoling shivering. “Hey, you never told me what your actual name is.” Whitney sat in front of him, resting their hands in their lap. 

 

“I don’t have one.” The octoling closed his eyes, resting his hands over the cold cloth. “Never needed one.”

 

“Hm…” Whitney looked around, squinting. “What about…” They thought for a moment, before snickering.

 

“What?”

 

“What about Ferox?” Whitney blinked. “It means savage in some old language from the gods.”

 

“What gods?” 

 

“You know, the humans?” Whitney furrowed their brows, before waving their hand. “Nevermind, but do you like the name?”

  
“Eh… It works.” He rested his head on his shoulder, chest starting to rise and fall. He fell asleep a few minutes later, Whitney standing up and staring down at him.  _ Should I bring him to bed, or a couch? What if he wakes up.. _ They murmured to themselves. Once they came to agreement with what to do with the sleeping body, they picked Ferox up, bringing him to their room and resting him under the covers. They grabbed one of their blankets and pillows, making their way to their kotatsu and cuddling half under it. They got some shut-eye themselves for a few hours until they got stirred by the other cephalopod calling their name. “Whitney..?” He hummed when he reached the living room, voice softening when he noticed them sleeping- or well-  _ barely _ sleeping at that point. He climbed over and shuffled under the table with them, resting his head on the pillow next to them. He stared at the inkling for a few minutes, before closing his eyes and huffing, soon falling asleep next to them.


	2. Timid, eh?

They never thought of taking care of someone else, or at least, another adult. While children were easier to take care of, being codependent was a weird experience. Not only did they have to get items for themselves, like food and toiletries, but with another person, they needed to get things for them too.

 

The first instance of sudden shock about the situation they bought themselves into was getting up one day, with their usual routine, and finding Ferox laying in the tub, a mixture of tentacle soap and body soap covering his shoulders and the tub. The two of them argued about _When I said clean yourself in the morning because we’re heading out, I did not mean use literally all of the soap!_ **_Well of course, I know that now_ ** _!_ Leading to Whitney to have to stop by a shop on the way home after their outing and showing Ferox what to use and how to properly use it.

 

The most concerning thing however was the lack of food that the octoling would eat. He seemed to eat less of anything that wasn’t raw or salty. This threw Whitney’s diet off a bit, leading to them eating a _lot_ more vegetables and meat than the mostly-protein-filled-fruit diet they were on before. Not that it was an issue, really. This let them learn out to prepare two different variants of dishes so that the both of them could be satisfied after the long day. The one thing that brought a smile to their face was when the thin boy finally ate a few bites of their dish, and mumbled a small _that’s pretty good…_

 

It wasn’t too offly hard to get him to help out around the house. Whether it was through making it into a game, or just through a stern _Do it or else you’re outside until night_ , Whitney always managed to find a way to have Ferox help around. It really was seeming to be much like the handiwork of trying to raise a child.. If that child was a shorter-than-you, thin, and boney boy with claws. Sharp claws.

 

Though, some part of Whitney had a strange thought. There is _no way_ that this boy was truely feral. After all, he knew how to speak, he most likely spent a lot of time with Christie, or whoever helped him in the underground. Something hit him wrong when they found that he was often more mannered (but still grouchy) later on in the day or around other cephalopods. Whitney gathered their courage up and placed their hands down on the table in front of the octoling, narrowing their eyes. “You’re doing this all as an act, aren’t you?”

 

“Huun..?” Ferox looked up from what he was eating, finishing his bite and blinking. “Wuddya mean?”

 

“Acting stupid! Like, being overly.. You know..” They waved their arms, before dragging a hand through their tentacles. “Indefatigable!”

 

“Indefawuht?” Ferox blinked, before wiping his eye and sitting back. “You mean like, not knowing how stuff works? Energetic? Yuh.” He stuck his tongue out. “It makes you get angry and show me how to actually do stuff.” Whitney stared at him, confused to what they should say past that. They didn’t really expect him to tell the truth, leading the octoling to purr. “See, like, that! You look great like that! It’s fun to mess wit’ you!” Whitney grew an embarrassed flush, dragging their mask over their eyes. They sat back down, huffing. “Oh, don’t give me that. You can’t say it isn’t!” _Pout_. “Oh, did I make you sad? Did you really think I didn’t know anything?” Ferox leaned against the table.

 

“N-No! It’s-” Whitney closed their eyes. “That’s such an asshole thing to do! God!” Whitney pulled their mask off, rubbing their eyes.

 

“Don’ be cryin’ on me, Whit. C’mon.” Ferox rolled his eyes, crawling on the table and taking their face in his hands. “Dude, I can chill with it if you want.”

 

“Wuh- No- I mean-” Whitney closed their eyes to avoid the octoling that was coddling him. “I..”

 

“You?” Ferox raised a brow, Whitney getting up and covering their face with their sleeves and  making their way to their room. “C’mon..” Ferox pouted, laying down on the table. He looked over to his plate and grabbed a stock of celery that he was eating, biting into it in annoyment.

 

It took a few days for the two of them to talk to each other without mumbling or falling into an embarrassed and confused mess, then a few more for their usual routine to return to normal, until Ferox came home, armfuls of clothes, some wrapped around his neck and tentacle. Whitney waved, before pausing, standing up and following him. “What are those for?”

 

“Some Inkling gave these and told me to try them on and bring them into their job tomorrow. Something about pictures?” Ferox rested the pile on the floor, pulling a few shirts out.

 

“I’ve never seen these before but.. They look familiar? Like Toni Kensa’s stuff, but.. Different?” Whitney sat with him, pulling a shirt out. “Who gave these to you?”

 

“An Inkling, like I said.” He saw the other’s face and huffed. “Really tall, these light blue tentacles and had a few piercings. Had a suit.”

 

“Sounds like him.. So you’re going to model for these new clothes or something?” Whitney handed the shirt to him.

 

“Yuh. I get like, two hundred ‘kay for doing it.” Ferox unzipped the top he usually wore, and tossed it away, grabbing a shirt from the pile and buttoning it up. “It feels weird..”

 

“I mean.. You really have only worn that weird leather thing.” Whitney stuck their tongue out. Ferox buttoned the cuff and stood up, walking over to the mirror and looking at himself. “What’s wrong?”

 

“It’s kind of baggy.” He tugged at a side of the shirt, Whitney walking up and taking a cuff and rolling it up a little. “Huh?”

 

“It’s supposed to be like that. Hold on, lemme get some shorts that would fit.” They walked to their dresser, then handed the boy a pair of baggy shorts. “Try these on.”

 

“Mmm’kay.” Ferox took them, putting them over the ones he was wearing. He buttoned them up and looked at himself in the mirror. He grinned and twirled. “I think it looks good. Aye, Whitney?”

 

“I-” They paused, looking to the side. “Yeah, it looks really good. Here, let’s try some other stuff on.”

 

“You’re so timid about that, heh.” Ferox patted the inkling’s head and pulled the shirt off, grabbing one of the coats and pulling it on. “Ohh.. This is nice and heavy.” He put the hood on, grinning widely. He turned around, looking at himself in the mirror. "It looks... Really cool!" Ferox moved on his heels to face the other, grinning. "Just gotta find myself a cool pair of boots, then I'll look sweet!"

 

"Hm... I could probably get you a pair." Whitney peered back to him, humming. Ferox shed the clothes that he was trying on and folded them up, sitting down on the floor and making piles of them. Whitney watched him, somewhat in awe of how quickly  _diligent_ the boy became with the clothes. "A...Are you  _actually_ folding them?"

 

"What'sito'ya?" Ferox glared at him before finishing, picking the clothes up and putting them on the dresser. "I have to return them when I go in in a few days for the pictures. I don't wanna have them have to like..." He rolled his hand. "Umm.." Ferox rubbed his chin, moving his hands around. "Hm.."

 

"Have them disorganized?" The octoling shook his head. "Fix them?"

 

" _Yeah_." Ferox nodded, opening the dresser and pulling out one of the other's shirts and pulling them on. 

 

"Hey, hey, hey. What are you doin'?"

 

"Putting on a shirt." Ferox made his way past Whitney into the hallway, the green inkling huffing and walking after him. 


	3. Kensa

It felt odd to see Ferox in anything other than the leather uniform that he was found in. The following morning, he woke up early, looking at himself in the mirror that stood in Whitney's room. He wore one of the inkfall shirts, buttoned up, and a pair of Whitney's shorts. Whitney blinked sleep out of their eyes and watched as Ferox inspected every part of the cloth in the mirror, adjusting it on the occasion. Whitney watched his green-ringed eyes shoot to and fro, the inside, lighter rings almost having a bioluminescent glow in the dark dawn light that protruded the apartment. 

 

Actually... His whole body had a similar glow. Freckle-like spots covered his arms and tentacles, reflecting a red light and looking as if they were glowing every time he turned his body towards the window. The patches of pale skin that made a contrast to his darker skin gave off  _almost_ the same impression, the difference being just that it was easier to see its true shade with the amount of light that was in the room. 

 

Ferox must have caught wind of Whitney's staring and wake, turning to the inkling and heading back into the bed. He pulled the blankets from Whitney and wrapped himself in them, eyes staring straight at Whitney's. The enby felt somewhat unsettled by it, looking away and awkwardly sitting up. Ferox snickered, covering his mouth as he laughed. Whitney rolled their eyes and got out of bed, heading over to their wardrobe and grabbing out a shirt. They turned on the television that sat on the the top of it, looking over the information that came on the news channel that it was tuned into. 

 

It was going to be a warm day.  _Nice_. They changed their shirt and tossed some shorts over their briefs, looking over to Ferox. "Are you sure you want to head all the way out there in a long sleeve? You might overheat." 

 

"Why?" Ferox pushed the covers off, turning to them. 

 

"Because more clothes you wear, the more heat stays inside." Whitney motioned some to their chest. They found that if they motioned as they spoke, Ferox would understand some stuff more. It wasn't much of a bother to include in talking, since they were a normally animated person anyways. "Besides, I don't want to get a call or something that they found you melted on the street." 

 

Ferox huffed, tossing the shirt off and heading over, pulling one of the other shelves of the wardrobe open. Whitney watched him, and flinched when they saw that the clothes were all folded neatly inside. Though it probably shouldn't have been a big issue, it still was something that surprised them. Ferox took out a short sleeve, gray, and put it on. He looked back in the mirror, rubbing the palm of his hand against his arms. On the outside of them grew small, jelly-like hairs. Whitney was similar in that regard, though they had it thicker. 

 

Whitney moved behind him, poking his back. "What's wrong?" Ferox jumped, baring his teeth and turning to them the moment that they touched him. Misaligned canines made the older cephalopod look rather funny, aiding to the lack of a reaction from Whitney to the intimidation. "Ferox...?" 

 

"Don't  _fucking_ touch my back." Ferox hissed low, an open palm being raised to highlight his claw-like fingers. Whitney shivered at the curse, frowning. "I joke around a lot, yeah, but I'm not joking with you when I fuckin' tell you not to touch me somewhere." Ferox pushed on Whitney a little bit before moving around them to fold up the shirt he tossed earlier. He rested it back in the wardrobe and narrowed his eyes at Whitney. 

 

Whitney just sighed and headed out of the room, going off to the kitchen to start making breakfast. Ferox joined them minutes later, opening the fridge and taking out a bottle of juice. He poured himself a glass, along with Whitney one, then sipped at his own. It was the usual they made, a fish steak for Ferox, and some seared fruit for themselves. They plated the two and handed Ferox his plate as they took a bite into one of the slices of fruit.

 

The two ate in the kitchen while Whitney slowly cleaned it and got it ready for when the children they tended to would come. Once Ferox was done, he tossed his plate and cup into the sink and stretched. "I'm going to head out." 

 

"Alright." Whitney nodded, watching as Ferox left the apartment. They finished their cleaning and went back to their room, staring off into their mirror. On their dresser was a purple band, that had two resin purple balls attached. They grabbed it and pulled the two long tentacles they had back, wrapping the band around them and tying it off. It was easier to keep them together that way, as opposed to trying to loop them into an actual band. They got it from Nelly almost six years ago. The thought of the amount of time since then blew their mind.  _Six years_. They were sixteen years at the time, with Nelly being fifteen. 

 

They didn't like thinking about that time though. Their throat ached some, and so did their heart. Whitney opened the door back up and closed it, forcing the memories of their young teenagehood to go back to the corner of their mind they regretted. They took a deep breath, then exhaled, jumping at hearing knocks at the door. They answered the door, welcoming their neighbor and her daughter in. 

 

* * *

 

 

Ferox pushed the door into the office open, looking around at the waiting room. A soft pink coat of paint covered the walls with pictures of inkling models framed up above seats, along with there being two doors. One was not labeled, but the other one indicated a small shop, with a stairs icon on it. In the lower floors of the building stood a shop for the designers clothes. Beside the first door was a windowed room with an octoling who was napping against her chair. She had pink tentacles that were short, and a fancy-looking white shirt. 

 

Ferox walked over to her, knocking on the glass. The girl jumped and moved a pane aside so she could talk with him. "Ah, you must be...?" 

 

"Ferox." 

 

"Ah! Right! The boy Toni talked about." She turned and grabbed some files. "Well, the next time you come up here to work, you're going to need to bring some of your papers like your birth certificate, or your identification papers." She looked back to him. "Just so we can help you get an identification card, along with register you as working for us." Ferox looked  _confused_ , but nodded anyways. "But for today, I'll let you through." She giggled. "Go ahead in, Toni's room is the first one on the right. If it's not unlocked, just head into the back room and get acquainted with some of the other models." 

 

He pushed his hands into the pockets of the shorts and made his way through the door, reading off the different signs. He pushed the door to Toni's office open, peering inside. An inkling sat at a desk, looking to be barely to his middle ages and with cyan tentacles cut into an almost bowl-like cut. He wore square glasses as he went through paper work and had a collection of sketches scattered around the desk. His eyes skirted up to Ferox, a deep crimson color with darker brown stars. He finished punching numbers into the computer beside himself before getting up and offering a hand. 

 

The octoling stepped in, taking his hand and shaking it. "This feels... Too formal." He rubbed at the back of his neck, awkwardness emanating from the younger fellow. Toni laughed, shaking his head and pushing the chair in. 

 

"If you don't want to be formal, by all means, go ahead." The Kensa smiled sweetly. "I see that you didn't really bring anything with you." 

 

"I didn't know I had to." Toni begun to bring Ferox off to the back of the office, pushing the door open to see a large studio, two inklings talking with a blue ringed octoling. 

 

"Don't worry about it." Toni shook his head and patted Ferox's shoulder, eliciting a hiss. "Ah... Sensitive there?" 

 

"Don't touch me." Ferox walked away from him, and over to the group of models. Toni stared off at them and shook his head, laughing. Ferox sat down on a box, listening into their conversation about... A game? The girls went back and forth about it, and seemed a bit heated, while the boy inkling that sat among them interjected on the occasion. "What are y'all talkin' about?" 

 

The others finally took notice of him, the girls gasping and moving over. They took his arms, looking him over. One of them, with a similar face structure and eyes to Toni, spoke first. "Woah... I knew that 'pa was bringing in a boy octoling but I didn't think that he would look like you!" 

 

"Hey- hands off!" Ferox hissed, the girls giggling. The other one spoke. 

 

"'Ey, you look like a royal too." She took a step onto the box, looking at the back of his head. She moved the patch of tentacle that sat under the singular one, poking at the point where they met skin. Ferox jumped and pulled away from them, baring his teeth. "You must be a Takowasa!" 

 

"A Tako _what_?" 

 

"Like I said, a royal!" She smiled. "I'm Polar Grizz. I'm sure that my uncle knows your dad." 

 

"...Grizz? Like, that stupid building?" 

 

"Do you not know?" Polar looked over to the other girl. "Russet Grizz." She crossed her arms. "He's a pretty big deal, right Umber?" 

 

"He and 'pa are in cahoots." Umber crossed her arms too, the two girls being dramatic. "It's like some weird love square or something." Toni yelled off at them, Umber laughing even louder. "I'm kidding, 'pa. But, really. Grizz, Dj, and Cuttlefish are all pals." 

 

" _Craig_ , really?" Ferox caught a fang on a lip. "I never thought of him bein' someone who would be pals with octo's." 

 

Polar put her hands on her hips. "You're tellin' me you know him and  _not_ the other two?" 

 

"I know Dj and Craig, but not Grizz." Ferox shrugged. "I'm guessing Takowasa is Dj's name...?" 

 

"Yep." Polar made a V with her fingers, winking. "Barely seen him myself, since I'm not even close to elite status, but, I've seen his kids. You're even close to lookin' like Procer, minus the patches."

 

Ferox flinched at hearing the name, but before he could ask for an elaboration, Toni brought himself over and patted Polar's head. "Alright, alright. You all can keep talkin' about this stuff later, okay? We have photos we have to take." 

 

Ferox grew quiet for the rest of the day, following Toni's takes when he was up to shoot. It was a fair bit awkward, seeing has he never had done such a thing, feeling sore around his joints by the end of the day. They didn't pause at any time for food, but they did for a momentary rest, Ferox taking in the surroundings of the changing room while Polar and Umber laughed and talked. His eyes laid upon the male inkling, who wore his tentacles in a hair tie and over an eye and stayed quiet as well. The hairstyle reminded Ferox of Whitneys, but,  _much_ shorter. 

 

His tentacles were a dark gray color, much like Umber's, with red tips that carried over his pale skin as a blush-like tint. He really was a contrast to Ferox, both in size and hue. The boy caught wind of Ferox's staring and looked over, an eye returning the curious gaze. When they all were to return home, the boy walked next to Ferox for most of the way home, before gently grabbing his wrist. Ferox looked over, raising a brow. "What?" 

 

"You smell like Whitney." Ferox gave an unsettled glance away and nod. "They're nice." The boy kept on holding his wrist as they walked. "Toni's an okay person." He looked straight ahead as he spoke. "I wouldn't get that close though. The Kensas are all weird. Especially Toni." The inkling pulled his shirt down over his shorts, seeing as it was tucked in before. "His kids don't like him. Wife died a year ago too. He started the clothing line to try to keep his mind off it." 

 

"...Why are you telling me this." Ferox pulled his hand away. 

 

"Unless you get close to him, Toni never talks about it. I only know about this stuff because of Umber." 

 

"Is Umber one of his kids?" 

 

"Grandkids." 

 

"Ah..." Ferox rubbed at the back of his neck. "Hey, what's your name anyways." 

 

"Slate." 

 

"Thanks, Slate. But I think I can walk by myself. Don't need a fuckin' kid to come with me." 

 

"I'm older than you." Slate rolled his eye, pushing his hands in his pockets. "I'm just a pygmy." He shook his head. "I live in the same complex anyways." Slate walked ahead of Ferox. "Tell Whitney I said hello though." With that, Slate was gone on his way off to the apartment complex. 

 

Ferox pushed the door to the apartment open just as dusk faded away, Whitney laying on their couch while dozed off. The octoling made his way over to them and climbed onto the couch, poking their nose. It wiggled a little as Whitney tried to keep a clutch on sleep, Ferox pulling them out of it when he pushed their cheeks together. Whitney pushed the limber octopus off of themselves and rubbed at their eyes. "How was work...?" They made their way off towards the kitchen while Ferox followed. Ferox told them about the building and about the other models, bringing a laugh from Whitney when he mentioned Slate. "So that ol' dude is still around here?" They undid their band. "I thought they would have moved out of the complex by now." 

 

"How do you know him?" 

 

"He was two years ahead of me and he was the counsel head when I had, er. You know." Whitney waved a hand. "He was the one who spoke with my folks and me as I reapplied to school." They grabbed a box of granola out of a cabinet, pouring some out into a bowl and getting some peanut butter. "Does he still style his hair like me?" Ferox nodded, Whitney laughing some more. "I guess some people never change. It was the 'fresh' hairstyle back when we were teens. Then the bang got removed because a bunch of kids back in the Square wore it without the bang." They mixed the two together, adding some honey in and more granola. "I don't really pay attention to that stuff, to be honest." 

 

They looked back over to Ferox and handed the spoon to him. "Though, you said Umber's with them? How is she doing?" 

 

"You know  _her_ too?" 

 

"She was Nelly's old girlfriend." Ferox chewed on the mixture. "I knew she was working for Toni. I wonder if she got Slate into it too." They spooned the mixture into another bowl for the other, handing it to him. "It's been a while since I've really talked to her. I think the last time was... Half a year ago?" They pressed the end of their spoon to their lips. "Back when I was looking for Nelly. She was at her house looking for her, since she heard Nelly moved here, and we kind of just... Ran into each other while worrying about her."

 

"She looked like she was really close to Polar." 

 

"I guess she moved on." Whitney sat on the counter, Ferox joining them and continued to eat the mixture. "I'm not surprised. Umber was always the affectionate type from what I heard." They closed their eyes. "I can't help but feel a little jealous." Ferox stared at their bowl. "It seems almost like everyone my age and getting older is finding their own partners." Whitney took a bite of the oatmeal and peanut butter. "Oh well." 

 

"Why don't you just... Go find someone." 

 

"I'm waiting for the right person." Chew. "It's something my mom always told me. Warned me, really. Don't fall in love with someone that you don't actually love." Their eyes seemed to be glossy a bit as they spoke about their mother. "I understand why she told me that all the time. My dad wasn't the kindest. But he's my dad, and I can't really hope that he wasn't around. If he wasn't, I wouldn't be here..." They took a deep breath. "I don't even know if you'd be here. Or Nelly." They looked over to him. "I don't like to think about it, but I can't help but think that if I wasn't around, Nelly wouldn't either. And... Avery wouldn't, maybe. I don't like thinking about it like this but...

 

"I believe that the world would be different without us." 

 

Ferox looked and felt awkward. He clutched the bowl, then sighed. "Whitney." 

 

"Hm...?" 

 

"I don't remember a lot. I don't remember my childhood. I don't remember Avery. I don't remember my sister." Ferox let out a shaky sigh. "But I do remember leaving with her. I remember seeing Nelly." Whitney flinched. "Did she tell you my name?" Whitney didn't reply. "Whitney." Whitney let out an anxious groan and nodded. "Whitney?" 

 

"...Yes?" 

 

"Can I go home?" 

 

"What do you mean?" 

 

"For work, I need my birth information. I need to go home to get it." 

 

Whitney hopped off of the counter, setting their bowl down. "Sure." 


	4. Home

Whitney went the whole nine yards when they got ready to head off to the Valley, getting their old Agent attire on. They twirled the key to Sheldon's weapon unit around a finger as Ferox crossed his arms at how over-the-top they were being. They lead the way out of the apartment into the growing cool night. Ferox bent down some and walked to their side, raising a skeptical brow up to them. "You're telling me you know where this stuff would be?" 

 

Whitney then stopped. 

 

"You don't, do you." 

 

A drop of sweat came down their face and they laughed, turning to him. "I don't. Actually know if it's still there." 

 

"Can't you like. Ask?" 

 

"What do you mean?"

 

"Shouldn't Octavio know?" Ferox continued down the sidewalk. "Why don't you just ask him or something. You didn't like, kill him, right?" 

 

"What, no!" Whitney rushed after him. "We sealed him in a snowglobe though." 

 

"Why do I feel like that's what the last Agents did?" 

 

"Because it is."

 

Ferox slowly nodded, continuing on his way until the two reached the clearing of the Square. Whitney lead the way after they reached that checkmark, pausing when they went over to where the kettle should have been. A cement bump covered what should have been the kettle, causing Whitney to narrow their eyes and look around. "Someone covered it." 

 

"Why don't you just break it?" 

 

"That's destruction of public property, Ferox." They crossed their arms, turning to look towards the subway. They eyed Ferox for a moment. "Hey, how did you get to the Metro?" 

 

Ferox thought for a minute. "My sis and I went in through one of the kettles that lead off to the Canyon." Whitney grabbed his hand and started to drag him off to the subway. "Hey, what the hell are you doing?" 

 

"The Canyon kettle must be open then!" Whitney grinned, hopping the fence that blocked the subway off and picking Ferox up to toss him on over. Ferox rolled and caught his ground with his hands and feet, then stumbled back a few steps. Whitney took his hand again and headed into the abandoned system. "They've been fixing this station up, so it should be operational soon. But that means we could probably follow the tracks off to the Square." 

 

"You're insane." 

 

"Well, we need to get your legal documents, right?" 

 

Ferox grew quiet at that answer, and huffed as a response. The two jumped down to the tracks and followed them off for a while until they saw another station, a large metro-style train waiting on the tracks. Whitney let go of Ferox and climbed up to the waiting area, then headed up from there. Surely enough, they were met with a path off towards an above-ground station and the sound of older inklings talking. They slipped off into the Plaza, Whitney looking up to the sky to check the time. It was still dark, but the moon was nowhere to be seen. 

 

The two of them seemed so out of place compared to the other cephalopods that inhabited the Plaza now. Most of them were older, mostly shop workers as well. They didn't pay mind to the two young adults though, to their advantage. When they came closer to the turf station, Ferox pulled on their arm when he noticed a kettle. "Ah, there we go!" Whitney walked over to it, jumping in. Ferox hesitated before he would jump in as well, pulling himself out of the kettle to stare bewildered at the sight of the floating islands. They all were in good condition, with new metal structures around them securing the walkways and little buildings added to the larger islands. 

 

Off in the distance the two could see the Canyon, along with a rig not too far off from it. It wasn't saltspray, of course, but something about it kept Ferox mesmerized. Whitney looked in the same direction. "That's it!" Whitney pointed. "Ferox, do you know which lead off to that?" 

 

"Moray." 

 

"...Moray?" 

 

"Moray Towers. It's a public dome, where a lot of low-ranking octarians live. At the top of the towers is a kettle that leads there." Ferox rushed away, Whitney following soon after. "The kettle is covered by an incubator, but seeing as three already hit it, we could just kick the incubator off and head on over."

 

"The return kettle is programmed to the Canyon though." Whitney frowned. "There's no way we can get back in a good amount of time if we just go through there and back." Ferox stopped at one of the kettles, kneeling and pressing his fingers against it. He climbed on top, messing with some of the knobs and switches. "I know that there's also the Reef, Skatepark, and Mussleforge Fitness domes that the manor are connected to, but none of them connect anywhere close to the surface." Ferox turned the kettle on, shifting so he could drag Whitney in. Whitney yelped, pulling themselves out of the end kettle, staring down at the red-pink ink it seeped into their veins. Their eyes settled up to see the rig, Ferox kicking their side some. "H... How?" 

 

 Ferox turned to them. "The kettles are programmable. If you set it to go to another path, then it'll follow it, as long as you make sure it's the right identification numbers." He knelled and pulled off one of the metal plates on the kettle. He pointed to a number on it. "It's something I remember someone telling me. Newer kettles start off with eight. If I put in a wrong number, the kettle won't start up. I figured that if I put in eight-o-o-o-o-o-one, and add one every time, then I could find something that could work." They kicked the panel back in. "Just simple math, dumbass." 

 

"I didn't know that at all!" Whitney stood up. "I'm not a dumbass." They made their way off into the manor, Ferox behind them. It seemed so  _dead_ without the amount of octolings that used to be in it, making commotion and partying. It almost seemed like it had been abandoned for  _years_ , seeing as there wasn't even a scent of octoling scattered in the draft. They made their way up the stairs that were parallel to the entrance of the manor, Ferox stopping at the bottom to look around at the scenery. 

 

The floors were a mixture of resins and steel, giving an almost glass-like appearance down to the purple-hued water under the rig, covered in rugs and unused tables. The walls were brick on the inside though, with light fixtures every few yards to light up the main room. For the octoling though, instead of a solemn feeling when seeing it all, he felt  _fear_. He turned towards the door, feeling an almost  _piercing_ emotion go straight through his chest. The feeling he recalled as such, remembering. His eyes glossed over as he remembered, only vaguely, the sight of those doors. 

 

His stomach sank. 

 

Ferox grabbed one of the tables in his anxiety fueled anger and pushed it to the wall, rubbing his face with his hands. Whitney heard the crash and rushed down from the stairs, yelling his name. Ferox's ears twitched and he turned to them, gathering his thoughts. "I- I don't know, I don't know what this place is, but I just... I remember being taken away from it." Ferox's fingers tapped at his palms as he spoke, Whitney walking over and resting their hands on his shoulders. "Don't tou..." 

 

Whitney took a deep breath, Ferox's voice trailing off. "It's going to be best if you follow after me so we can get out of here faster, okay?" 

 

"...Okay..." The two of them went upstairs, with Ferox peering into every room until they passed one. His ears twitched again and he pulled on Whitney's coat, before heading inside. The room had two beds, stripped of all of their covers, along with some bookshelves and broken parts to weapons. "It smelled familiar..." Ferox pressed in, looking around every piece of furnishing in the room. He lifted one of the mattresses, staring down at a piece of balled up paper. It was covered in rotted ink, but Ferox grabbed it up anyways, opening it. 

 

The paper had a photograph of two octolings on it.

 

One was bigger than the other, with long tentacles that were to the sides of her face. The other was thinner than her and had vitiligo. 

 

Ferox's hand shook as he stared at the picture, tears welling up in his eyes. 

 

"Ferox?" 

 

He didn't respond. He dropped the picture and balled his hands into fists, sobbing. 

 

"Ferox!" 

 

"I don't remember!" The boy looked to Whitney, eyes lined with red-tinted tears. His pupils were down to slits, eyes red. "I don't remember why this makes me angry, Whitney." He took a deep breath. "I... I just want to go home." He moved over and balled his fists, pushing his weight onto Whitney and continuing to cry. Whitney rocked him softly, then picked him up. "...?" 

 

"If you want to just hide in my hood, you can." 

 

Ferox's body turned to ink before compressing into his octopus form, and he climbed into their jacket. It was an awkward feeling at first, but Whitney got used to it as they picked up the picture, left the room, and continued towards the incubator room down the hall. They pushed the door open, looking around at the unused equipment. A large aquarium-like tray, large rows of cubicles, and vials of food and... Something on top of a cabinet. They moved over to the cubicles, looking into the boxes that made up the storage, flinching when they saw  _armor_ inside, with name tags on top. 

 

They continued to open them until they finally reached a name that was familiar.  _Procer Takowasa_. Senior. The tag was the only thing that remained, perhaps being that she did not want to keep that name with herself. Understandable, of course, since she was no longer engaged to Octavio. They checked the surrounding boxes and ran into one that sounded somewhat familiar.  _Procer Octet._  

 

They set the photo down and searched the box, pulling out a set of armor that seemed to be a bit larger than any other set they found. It had a similar scent to Ferox as well, but was rather... Stale. They slipped the photograph into that cubicle before moving onto the next. They then found what they were looking for.  _Ferox Takowasa_. 

 

They pulled the box out and started to make their way out of the rig. They set the box down and wiggled Ferox out of their jacket, the relaxed octoling grumbling and pulling himself back to his humanoid form. "So, you have any ideas of getting home in a reasonable time?" 

 

"I could rig it somewhere close to Grizzco. There has to be a kettle close to there." Ferox walked over to a kettle, taking a knee and starting to mess with an inside panel. Whitney stood around, looking off to the surroundings. "Hey, is that thing even ink-soluble?" 

 

"I would imagine. Or at least, the contents." 

 

Ferox hummed. "This thing is fuckin' bullshit." He punched the kettle, then went back to messing around with the different knobs and such. "This is why it's stupid to cover octarian shit up, man." 

 

"Do you think that somebody did it maliciously?" 

 

"I wouldn't be surprised." Ferox placed his palm against the side of the kettle. "This is warm, but I'm still going to check. Stay here with my shit, okay?" 

 

"Fair enough. Wouldn't want it to be lost." Whitney nodded and watched as Ferox descended into the kettle. When Ferox pulled himself out of the kettle, he was met with the smell of the sea and rot. He covered his mouth and looked around, pushing a door open and yipping when he saw a large inkling standing guard. The inkling turned to him, staring right at him before running off. Before the inkling would return, Ferox moved back to the kettle to set it back to the rig. 

 

Though, as he was about to check the connection, a large cephalopod peered into the room. He wore a dark suit and had long tentacles that were covered in blue rings. "This kettle hasn't been used for a while." He walked over, kneeling. "'Kiddo, are you lost?" 

 

Ferox spat in his face. "Fuck off." 

 

The elder grumbled and wiped his face off. He paused when he noticed the Toni Kensa logo on the boys shirt. "...Ferox?" 

 

" _What?_ How the hell do you know my name?" 

 

"Ah. Polar was telling me over the phone. What are you doing though?" 

 

Ferox felt skeptical, looking away for a moment, but turned back to him. "I was getting something from the Canyon, and we were trying to find a way home since the Square kettle was covered over." 

 

"We?"

 

"My... Friend and I." 

 

The man smiled and stood. "Well, if you need any help, feel free to ask me when you're both out here. And, between us." He walked over, whispering to Ferox. "I would back you up if you broke that concrete off."

 

Ferox grew a devilish grin that made the elder laugh as Ferox jumped into the kettle. Whitney turned to him, raising a brow. "C'mon." Ferox motioned for them to bring the box over and the two fell into the kettle. When they emerged in the room, the elder was as the door, eyes widening some when he saw Whitney. 

 

"You didn't tell me your friend was an Agent." 

 

"I didn't think it was important." Ferox grabbed the items, Whitney staring at him. "Besides, how do you know that?" 

 

He laughed. "Kid. I know more than you might think. I've been pals with Craig for a long time, you know." 

 

"Wait." Ferox stared at him. "You're Russet?" 

 

"I'd rather you refer to me as  _Mr. Grizz_ , but yes. I guess Polar told you my full name?" Grizz started out of the room with the two younger adults following after him. "Toni wanted you to get your records, didn't he? Pesky prick." He crossed his arms. "Here, leave these with me." Grizz brought them to his office, slapping the top of his desk. "I can get Polar to bring these up when Toni goes to pick her up later in the morning." Whitney nodded and set the box of items onto it. "If you want to go rest, you two, go on home. To get to the Square, just head off from the gate and go forward." 

 

The two of them nodded and when they left the building, Ferox jumped onto Whitney, turning back into an octopus and climbing into their jacket. Whitney  _was_ going to question it, but they figured that Ferox was  _exhausted_. When they returned home, afterall, Ferox crashed on the couch and fell into a deep sleep before Whitney could even head towards their room. 


End file.
